Tag Archive: God


Celebrate Earth Day with the Angels! 

Take time to be outside and celebrate the day and connect with the Earth.  Allow yourself to be one with the Earth and all creation.  Remember that you belong on Earth, and that you are a gift to the Earth with all of your wonderful vibrations, love and beautiful soul!

Card 1:  Arch Angel Michael – “I am with you, giving you the courage to make life changes that will help you work on your Divine life purpose.” 

Today, call upon Arch Angel Michael to help you connect with the Earth, feeling surrounded in protection, love and support.  Ask Michael to clear any barriers that keep you from being at peace on the Earth.  He will help you to remember your life’s purpose and remove the fears that keep you from living it out each day.

Card 2: Angel Zanna - ”You are protected from all types of harm.  The worst is now behind you.  I ask you to relax and feel safe.”

Allow your spirit to feel at peace today.  When you heal your spirit and feel at peace, the Earth can also heal and be at peace.  Release any negativity, fear and anger that you may be holding onto and allow your spirit to be filled with light and love.  Spread peace around the Earth today, every one you meet bless them with peace and harmony from your spirit.  You are protected and there is nothing to fear, allow yourself to be a peace every moment of the day.

Card 3: Arch Angel Haniel – Sensitivity - ”You are extra-sensitive to energies and emotions right now.  Honor yourself and your feelings.”

Have you been feeling extra sensitive to criticism and negative energies?  Don’t allow mercury retrograde to cloud your judgement.  Remember that you can control your thoughts and that no one is truly out to harm you or hurt you.  Often times it is only in your mind that others are putting you down.  Believe in yourself and remember that you have something amazing to offer the world.  Be gentle with yourself today, honor your feelings, remember that you can choose how you react to others and can remain at peace no matter what is going on in the world around you.

If you have a chance today, go sit out in nature.  Walk in the forest, stroll on the beach and take in the sunset.  Celebrate the beauty of the Earth!

Cheers!

Cheers! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Hope your day is filled with joyful times with family and friends! Don’t let expectations of the ‘perfect’ holiday ruin the incredible moments that you share. Often times, expectations can cause many of us to become stressed out about the holidays, making it hard to enjoy ourselves, crabby and naggy at our closest loved ones as we try to recreate the picture of what we think the ‘perfect’ holiday is.  Remember that really, there is only the present  moment and you get to decide how you are going to live in it.  Choose to be at peace, even if the turkey burns.  Choose to laugh when your children spill the gravy.  Choose to share love and a smile when your difficult in-laws show up.  You can choose to be happy, content and peaceful.  By choosing your emotions, others will see your peace and try to mirror it back.  It will allow everyone else to be at ease, laugh and have fun together.  Isn’t that really what the holidays are all about anyway?

This isn’t the day to bring up past fights, arguments or judgements we have about others in our lives.  It is about sharing the best parts of ourselves and opening our heart to allowing forgiveness and gratitude to shine out.  Take time today to think of something you appreciate about each person who is in your life.  It may take more time for some of the difficult people, especially if they are not choosing to be at peace today.  Remember that each person is in your life because you chose them to be there.  Receive the lesson, insight and gift that each person brings and let go of the judgement on them and yourself for the minor imperfections that make us all human. 

Gratitude Prayer –

Dear Mother Father God -

We are so thankful for this special day where we offer our thanks and gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in our lives.  Thank you for filling our lives with infinite prosperity and abundance in all things.  Thank you for this beautiful feast, prepared with loving hands and hearts filled with joy. 

Bless each hand that has played a role in the preparation of this feast, from the animals, to the farmers and everyone along the way.  Bless this food with your unconditional love and infinite peace so that it may nourish not only our bodies, but feed our minds, hearts and souls. 

Thank you for the infinite oneness we all share, may each person feel the loving connection to you and others today and not feel alone in this world.  Thank you for the joy that you bring to our lives so that each day can be filled with happiness and laughter.  Thank you for the wisdom that helps guide our lives so that it is filled with mercy, grace and compassion for ourselves and all others.  In gratitude, we thank you for every blessing in every area of our lives, today and always.  Amen!

Thank you for all of your love, laughter & friendship today and always!  We appeciate each and every one of you, for the special sparkling light that you are and the gift that you bring to our lives! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

What is Grace?

By God's Grace

Image by night86mare via Flickr

Grace is feeling safe, secure and loved while you are on Earth.  Grace provides an inner strength and courage to face life’s challenges.  Grace helps you to hold onto faith and hope when all seems lost.  When you allow God’s grace to fill you, you will always feel God’s presence within you.  It is the seed of God’s spirit that thrives and shines when we are surrounded in the darkness.  That seed of grace can be nurtured to provide light to guide your way on even the darkest paths.  Grace helps to remind you that you are never alone and always loved.  I want you to imagine what it feels like to be loved and filled by grace. Feel that sense that you are never alone and always loved.

 Some crucial questions about Grace:

  •  What do I think grace means?
  •  How do I  receive grace? 
  •  How do I activate grace in my life? 
  •  Do I have to work hard to receive grace?

 Grace is not something you have to work for, no amount of good deeds can win you grace.  It is something that has already been set aside for you to receive.  Almost like a present waiting for you to accept the gift and unwrap it.  It is freely and easily given to you without any strings attached.  Accept God’s love and forgiveness for you and your life.  When you open your heart to God; God’s grace, hope and love flood in and fill you with more than you can ever imagine.  God’s grace is infinite, abundant and surrounds you every moment of every day. 

Grace is not confined to any particular religion.  No church has a monopoly on grace.  Grace is available to everyone, no matter who they are or what they believe.  Grace waits like a shining star hiding in your heart, waiting to warm you and spread through you like wildfire. 

Are you ready to light the spark to start a fire in your heart?


Hold Fast by MercyMe

I heard today’s song while driving to work this morning. It is Hold Fast by MercyMe. It’s one of those songs that reaches into your heart and helps lift out some of the pain, stress or weakness when you are in the middle of a tough season of life. Sometimes it feels as the song says like the season will never pass. Perhaps you are in the middle of a long, desperate time that feels like you will never reach summer where abundance and joy flows. Hold fast to the strength of your spirit, reach out to others who can help encourage you to live on through the challenging times. Reach out to God and ask for help, guidance and understanding for what is going on in your life right now. Help is always around you when you ask for it. Allow yourself to reach out and overcome your pride that keeps you from receiving help and encouragement.

Remember, you are not alone and that no one could possibly know or understand what is happening in your life. When you reach out, you will be amazed at how others will respond to your true vulnerability with overflowing love, concern and support. Ask God to bring people into your life to help you find your way, help booster your self esteem and help you to hold fast until a new day dawn’s with the promises of love, hope and abundance in all things.

You are loved beyond measure.
You are a masterpiece.
You are an important part of God’s plan.
You are not junk, a mistake or a loser.
You are God in Action!

Lip Service to God

Sometimes I wish I would record my thoughts on my drives home from work. So often I go into a meditative state, talking to God or wondering about spiritual matters and wish I was at the keyboard to type them up. But, alas, I am not, I am driving down the highway watching the sunset on the river. Today’s thoughts went to a small discussion I was having with myself over why I don’t often enjoy going to church. For me, all too often, church services seem boring, dull and lacking the connection to God that I feel should be there if I have gone to set aside time to worship God.

It seems a shame that everyone is gathered and yet God hasn’t put in the appearance yet! While that really isn’t the case, it sometimes feels that way. Perhaps my heart isn’t quite in the worship or my mind is too occupied with being judgmental and thinking that while we pay awesome lip service to worship and praise, the repeating of these words over and over again in song and hymns don’t really mean the same as the act of worship or praise. Worship, praise and love are action verbs – it is more than just saying the words – it is involving the heart, mind, body and soul in the process that bring about connection and transformation with God and your spirit.

When I feel God’s presence in the service, it fills me up with a sense of excitement, awe and love. When there is an especially strong outpouring of love, it can be to the point of ecstasy and bliss. Many times though I can feel this strong connection with God in moments alone, walking in nature or healing another person. It is allowing the true connection we all share with God in a state of oneness and allowing my consciousness to fully expand and welcome God in.

We are all in oneness with God. Never is our spirit separate from God, even if our minds and bodies give the illusion of otherwise. My heart sings when I allow the moments of oneness to expand and fill every aspect of my being. When I turn away from the corner that is filled with darkness, stress and fear and return to the center where there is love, hope and peace. The center where we are one with God, one with love, one with peace, one with the flow of life free from fear, free from the limits we place on our time and lives.

The past few days I have been waking up with songs of praise singing in my head. Often once I am fully awake and out of bed I don’t remember the songs for long. It is really nice to wake up to such encouraging words and with the feelings of love, hope and joy in my heart. Today’s song was repeating in my soul: Love the Lord, Your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.

The song is Love the Lord by Lincoln Brewster. It is based off of several scriptures that reflect on putting your all into loving God, everything you have in praise, worship and connecting in a deep relationship with your creator. So often my mind can be elsewhere while thinking about God or singing praise, it is important to have everything you have united and be fully present in that moment with God. When all of you is united, miraculous events can happen, healing, transformation and amazing love come from being fully one with God in all that you are.

Mark 12:30
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

This same verse is repeated in Deuteronomy 6:5. “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Walking with Grace 06.19.09

Walking with Grace

Alicia Crystalus

Sermon Given at the Spiritual Lighthouse Church

Jacksonville, FL

June 21, 2009

 

Imagine with me for a moment, that after having a tough and challenging day, you decide for to go for a long walk.  No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t seem to relax your mind.  You replayed your day over and over in your head.  Then you were reminded by this small still voice in your head to bring Grace in to your walk.  Then immediately everything shifted. You could notice the beauty around you from the colors of the leaves, to the smell of the grass.

 You were reminded that walking with Grace is walking with – compassion, courage and determination.  Grace is a state of being; it is an acceptance that you can always be filled with grace. All you have to do is ask.  Grace is with you wherever you go. 

 Grace is feeling safe, secure and loved while you are on Earth.  Grace provides an inner strength and courage to face life’s challenges.  Grace helps you to hold onto faith and hope when all seems lost.  When you allow God’s grace to fill you, you will always feel God’s presence within you.  It is the seed of God’s spirit that thrives and shines when we are surrounded in the darkness.  That seed of grace can be nurtured to provide light to guide your way on even the darkest paths.  Grace helps to remind you that you are never alone and always loved.  I want you to imagine what it feels like to be loved and filled by grace. Feel that sense that you are never alone and always loved.

  Some crucial questions you may have about Grace:

 *What do you think grace means?

 *Some of you may be wondering, how de we receive grace? 

 *How do we activate grace in our lives? 

 *Do you think you have to work hard to receive grace?

  The answer to those questions is:

 Grace is not something you have to work for, no amount of good deeds can win you grace.  It is something that has already been set aside for you to receive.  Almost like a present waiting for you to accept the gift and unwrap it.  It is freely and easily given to you without any strings attached.  Accept God’s love and forgiveness for you and your life.  When you open your heart to God; God’s grace, hope and love flood in and fill you with more than you can ever imagine.

 

“May Grace and Peace be multiplied to you.”  1 Peter 1:2

 

When Peter wrote this he felt the bliss of grace and the blessings of peace.  He wanted all other people to feel this amazing miracle of grace.  He formed it was a greeting to friends.  What greater blessing can you wish someone than grace and peace?  Think about someone right now that needs the gift of grace, maybe it is you, or a dear beloved friend or family member.  Ask that they be blessed with Grace right now.

 Grace is a special gift from Heaven.  All other blessings of joy, peace, compassion and courage come from first receiving the gift of grace. 

 May grace be multiplied to you and all forms of grace received by you.  Grace is the empowerment of something brand new and holy within your heart.  This act of accepting grace allows your heart to be transformed to become God’s own heart.  Allow God’s own heart to beat within your chest.  Let every beat of your heart spread love, mercy and compassion as life blood through your body. Do that right now. Allow God’s own heart to beat within your chest.  Let every beat of your heart spread love, mercy and compassion as life blood through your body.  You can do this any time you need to.

 Grace does not make a superficial change.  It makes a sacred and lasting change that helps guide your soul through eternity.  It helps you to understand your divine purpose and provides an inner knowing that you are following the right path even when you do not know every step of the journey. 

 It awakens the image and divinity of God within your mind, body, heart and soul.  It awakens you to the divinity that has always been within you.  Grace helps you to realize that you have never been nor will you ever be separate or apart from God.  Grace allows you to remember and experience the true oneness with God on a deeper level. 

 The transformation of grace allows you to accept the precious gifts of compassion, courage and determination.  Not only for yourself but for all life on Earth.  These special gifts assist you to claim your life’s purpose and fulfill it with courage and confidence.  Grace helps you to maintain faith that you are strong enough and good enough just as you are to complete your divine mission.  Grace flows through every cell of your body, bringing understanding, light, tenderness and harmony every where it touches. 

 God’s Holy Spirit assists you by streaming grace into your heart every second of the day.  Each wave of grace touches your heart and plays it like a beautiful instrument.  The song that is sung in your heart plays in harmony with the heavenly choirs of angels.  Allow your heart to sing along with the heavens and let your life be in harmony with the Earth. 

 Think back to a time in your life when you didn’t feel you were enough or that you just couldn’t get through the next challenge in your life.  We all have those times.  I want to you think about a recent time when you felt that way.  Now I want you to imagine that you allowed the Holy Spirit to flow through you, breathing grace, hope and love back into you.  Did you feel like you were never alone when you walked through this situation?  Did you know that you could accept the calling of your divine purpose?  And that you were supported every step of the way by God’s grace?  Did you feel a boost to your spirit that helped pick you up off the ground so you can walk with grace again?  It is never too late to bring Grace into any situation. 

 While God plants the seed of grace into our hearts.  It is up to us to nurture, water and grow the seed into a glorious rose of love, mercy and compassion.  Every time we allow light into our lives, we bask that seed in sunlight to help it grow.  Every tear we cry and offer up to God to help us over the hurt and pain of life; waters that seed.  Every day that we meditate, offer praise or worship we nourish that seed.  So that one day that seed will blossom into a beautiful rose that has spread throughout our entire lives.  Take time each day to tend to the seeds planted in your heart.  You have a beautiful garden waiting for you. 

 God lays the foundation for our faith, but we construct the holy temple by walking with grace every day.  The Holy Spirit helps continue to work of grace in our hearts but we must be open to the ways the Holy Spirit moves in our lives.  Working to open our hearts, allows the Holy Spirit the opportunity to help tend our garden and temple with us.  We don’t have to walk this path alone.  Allow the help and support of heaven to be with you every step of the way.

A good metaphor for how we work with God and the Holy Spirit might be a sailboat floating on the ocean.  God provides the Grace Compass for our lifeboat.  We begin our journey of life and create a sail to help speed the trip along.  For us to truly sail the world – we need wind to fill up our sails so we don’t get stranded on the high seas of life, with no land or friends in sight to help us in the storms of life.  The Holy Spirit is that friend, providing wind to fill our sails.  Sometimes this wind is gentle, like a whispering breeze across our face so we know we are not alone.  Other times it is a gale force wind that helps push us into safety and blow the storms of life away.  Each blow of grace helps us to maintain our faith and moves us forward on our journeys through life. 

 Grace provides us a way to commune with God.  Grace raises us up to God’s level and allows us to be friends.  Commune with God on a daily basis to continue your walk with grace.  There are so many different ways to commune with God and it is a shame to miss them! 

 Here are 5 easy ways to commune with God on a daily basis.

 #1 – is to pray and offer words of praise for blessings received during the day. 

 # 2 – is to take God along as a passenger while you drive to work, He is an awesome listener and if you listen back God may even offer words of advice on how to have a peaceful day.  (No one will ever know. They will think you are talking on your cell phone.)

 # 3 – Another way would be to turn on uplifting music that stirs your soul and offers words of praise and worship to God.  

 #4 – My personal favorite is something I like to do a few minutes before I get out of bed in the morning.  I talk to God about what I want to accomplish that day and ask for His help every step of the way.   

 #5 – At night I will review my day with God.  It is an act of prayer that I offer up.  I review blessings I had received during the day.  Share my problems and moments of gratitude where I was able to see God helping me.  God is always present, every second of the day. Ask God for further guidance on walking with grace, mercy and love each day.   Allow yourself the chance to see the beauty in the world around you.  See where God was in your life each day.   No matter if you were less than perfect, there is nothing in life to be ashamed of for God loves you unconditionally and always loves you perfectly.  As you walk with grace, walk with your head held high for you are walking with God. 

 If you can’t find time for any of the ways I have shared, the single most spiritual thing you can do is to fall asleep without anger.  Fall asleep with peace and you will wake up with peace.  Trust that God will continue working on your life and filling you with love while you are asleep.  So any challenge that seems to big, give it up to God and allow Him to work on it while you sleep, trust that you do not have to worry while you sleep for your life is in the best hands possible.  Then when you wake up invite God to be with you every moment of the day.  You will be amazed at how your life changes by simply inviting God to be at your side. 

 Walking with grace makes life more exciting.  It makes life peaceful and extraordinary.  God is helping you create your life and filling each moment with magic, mystery and wonder.  Remember nothing is impossible with God. 

 If you would like to learn more about walking with grace or how to build an intimate relationship with God, please talk with me after the service.  Walking with Grace in the past has not always been easy for me.  It is something that I have learned to do.  I am committed to helping you experience God’s grace.  One of the ways, I would like to do that right now, is to share a song with you by Paul Baloche; it is Open the Eyes of My Heart.  Please join me in singing along.  After the song I will show you how you can truly accept God’s grace into your heart right now.

 I want each of you to close your eyes for a few minutes.  Allow your hearts to accept the love we have just been singing about.  Allow your hearts to soak it up.  If you have been moved by my words, please raise your hand.  Please keep your hands up if you want to accept God’s grace into your heart.  Just the act of raising your hand will show God that you are ready to open your heart for a deeper relationship. If you are 100% committed and ready to accept God’s grace, unconditional love and forgiveness into your heart, please raise both of your hands.  On your chair was placed a special prayer in an envelope.  Take that out now and say this prayer with me.  You may do so silently in your heart if that feels right to you. 

 Dear God, I want to share more of my life with you.  Please surround me in your love and fill my heart with your grace.  I open my heart and trust that you will plant the seed of grace within my heart.  I ask that your Holy Spirit guide me on how to tend to this precious gift of grace so it can mature into a beautiful rose of life.  I invite you into my heart and into my life.  I truly accept your unconditional love and forgiveness and can’t wait to walk with grace with you for the rest of my life.  Amen.

 Thank you for allowing me to share my walk with grace with you.  I appreciate each and every one of you and am thankful that you shared your hearts with me.  May you be surrounded in love, joy and peace! And remember, to please see me if you have any questions or give me a call.  I am here to help bring grace into your life.

Below is a transcript of the special service that Donald and I will be sharing tonight at the Spiritual Lighthouse Church in Jacksonville, Florida.  We hope to get it recorded so we can share it in a podcast or on blogradio. 

March 22, 2009

Spiritual Lighthouse Church in Jacksonville, Florida

Reverend Alicia Erchul and Reverend Donald Chelf

 

Sing – Doxology

 

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 

Said by Donald –  Let us say the Lord’s Prayer together.  Please bow your heads and join hands if you feel called to do so.

 

Prayer – Lord’s Prayer

 

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory

Now and Forever. Amen. 

 

 

Said by Alicia – Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly in song.  From Psalm 95 verses 1 and 2.

 

Psalm 95:1-2 (New International Version)

 

Psalm 95

1-Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

       let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

 

2-Let us come before him with thanksgiving

       and extol him with music and song.

 

 

Let Us Sing – Come, Now is the Time to Worship by Brian Doerksen

 

Lyrics

Come, now is the time to worship

Come, now is the time to give your heart

Come, just as you are to worship

Come, just as you are before your God

Come

 

One day every tongue will confess you are God

One day every knee will bow

Still the greatest treasure remains for those

Who gladly choose you now

 

(Repeat all of the above)

 

Willingly we choose to surrender our lives

Willingly our knees will bow

With all our hearts, hope, minds and strength

 we gladly choose you now

 

Come, now is the time to worship

Come, now is the time to give your heart

Come, just as you are to worship

Come, just as you are before your God

Come, oh come

 

Said by Donald – The Early Worker today is a poem written by Alicia titled “Where Does God Go?”

 

Said by Alicia – I wrote the following poem after praying for a friend of mine, Emily and her grown daughter, Laura.  Their families were going through a rough and emotional time when Laura was having troubles with her husband and she had a brain injury.  She felt so downtrodden and far away from God, and wondered if God was even around during this challenging time of trial and pain.  During my prayer, the below poem came directly to me and I wrote it down so quickly I didn’t realize the power of the words that were given to me until I shared the poem with Emily who then shared it with Laura.  Laura’s spirit was healed by the words and she has since had it inscribed around her bathroom mirror so she can read it every day. 

 

Where Does God Go?

By Rev. Alicia M. Erchul

 

Pain rises wave upon wave.

Filling the mind and breaking the heart.

Pain increases making every moment torture.

Breaking the body and depressing the spirit.

 

How can the world be filled with so much pain?

How can one body be filled with so much fear that it has forgotten its soul?

How can one go on day after day when they are all the same?

How can one live when they are all alone?

 

Where does God go when the body is in pain?

Where does God go when the mind is filled with disease?

Where does God go when the heart weeps in despair?

Where does God go when the world keeps spinning without any peace?

 

Does God run and hide away,

Waiting for another day to come out and play?

Does God turn away,

Hiding behind the clouds like the sun?

 

There is never a day when God hides from you.

There is never a moment so dark that God would leave your side.

God stands ever faithful, by your side, in your heart and all around you.

With a helping hand and a loving embrace, God is there to help you go on.

 

God is there, when you are crying.

God is there, when you are in pain.

God is there, when you are weary.

God is there, when you are in despair.

 

Let God release the pain.

Let God come and fill your heart with gladness.

Let God step in and lift your pain away.

Let God’s radiant light surround you till the darkness is but a memory.

 

God’s light is there to lift your spirits.

God’s hand is there to heal your pain.

God’s love is there to bring you back to health.

God’s faith is there when your own faith thinks life is impossible.

 

Find hope in God’s promise that you are never alone and always loved.

Find joy in God’s creation that each day is truly brand new.

Find peace in God’s grace that you are forgiven and healed of all pain.

Find strength in God’s faith that there are infinite possibilities for your life.

 

Said by Donald – So many of us forget that we have a personal relationship with God and that he is always with us.  God is our friend, there to hear our prayers, listen to our hearts and walk with us through our lives’ journeys.  As said in John 15:11-18 in the Message translation.

 

John 15:11-18 (The Message)

11-15“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

16“You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

17“But remember the root command: Love one another.

 Let us sing together the song “Friend of God”.

 

Sing – Friend of God by Michael Gungor and Israel Houghton

 

Who am I that You are mindful of me?

That You hear me when I call?

Is it true that You are thinking of me?

How You love me, it’s amazing!

 

I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend

(Repeat verse and chorus)

 

God Almighty, Lord of Glory, You have called me friend

(Repeat 3 times)

 

I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend.

(Repeat above)

 

Said by Alicia – Meditation – Journey to Soul’s Home and Let God Into Heart

 

Today I am going to lead you on a journey to your soul’s home. 

Let yourself relax.

Listen to the sound of my voice and let each word that you hear bring you deeper and deeper into a state of total relaxation.

Let the music carry away any stress or worry in your mind.

Let your body sink into the chair and become one with the chair.

Take a deep breath in, breathing in peace and breathing out stress.

Breathe in light, breath out fear.

Breathe in love, breath out pain.

Continue to breathe deeply, letting your breath reach all the way into your stomach and hips. 

Let yourself expand.

I would like you to now picture a golden ball of light, can you see it off in the distance?

It is slowly coming towards you and growing bigger

Breath in the light with each breath.

As the ball approaches you can feel your feet relax.

Breath in peace and feel your calves and thighs relax.

The ball is now just a few feet away and larger than you.

Breath in hope and feel your hips relax.

Unclench the muscles in your belly and let your body relax.

Lift your shoulders up and let them drop, and relax your arms.

Breath out any burdens you are carrying with you and release them from your mind and body.

Now the ball is right in front of you.  Let the golden ball of light envelope your body.

See yourself wrapped in the golden light.

Feel the warmth and peace within the ball. 

This ball of light will protect you while you journey tonight.

It will remain around you until we are completely finished with our journeys. 

We now call upon Mother Father God and all of the angels, spirit guides and any others who you feel will be able to provide you with help and guidance on your journeys. 

Now let your spirit begin to gather together.

Feel it begin to gather in your feet and flow up through your legs. 

Let your soul continue to flow up until it reaches your heart.

See the light shining brightly in your heart, continuing to shine brighter and brighter.

Feel your spirit get lighter and lighter, almost as if ready to take flight.

Let your soul flow up and out of your body.

Flowing out of your heart and up through your crown chakra.

Know that your body will be safe and protected while you are gone on your journey.

Let your soul travel off into the far reaches of the Universe to your soul’s eternal home where you will feel at peace and content. 

How does your spirit travel? Do you have wings?  Are you following a beam of light?  Spiraling through the stars?

Keep travelling until you find your home.

Don’t worry about what form it takes, it could be a planet, it could be a star,

 it could be a home or any other place. 

This is your place, this is your soul’s home. 

Let your soul show you where it lives.

Look around, what do you see?

Look at the colors that surround you.  What colors bring you peace, what colors make you feel alive.  Let those colors seep into your heart and soul.

There is a walkway before you guiding you to the door of your home.  Walk up to your home and open the door.

Take a few moments to explore your home, remember what it felt like to live here.  All of the love, joy and laughter this home has for you. 

What is that off in the distance?  You hear a voice calling your name. 

Soon there is a knock on the door, it is a soft gentle rapping. 

You run to the door – who could be your first visitor at your home?

God is standing on the other side of the door.  God says to you – May I please enter your home and visit you here?

The choice is now yours, do you want to open the door to let God into your home or do you want to ask him to come back later?

Do you feel your life is too messy to let God in?  Is the home of your soul filled with clutter?

Let God in to help you clear away the clutter, help you cleanse your soul’s home.

Step forward and say “Yes, Lord! Please come into my soul’s home, please join me for a talk today in my home. Please stay with me always!”

If you have let God into your home, take a few moments to chat with Him, ask any questions you like.  Feel God’s embrace of love and peace surround you, as He hugs you in your home.

If you did not let God in today, take time to reflect on why you did not feel ready to accept God into your home.  What is blocking you from having a true relationship with Him?

You don’t have to tell God goodbye, for He is always with you.

Remember this place, remember the feelings of love and peace. 

This is your place.  This is your soul’s home. 

You can always come back to refresh yourself here. 

You can always come here to surround yourself in love. 

This is your home, where you are always safe and secure. 

A place for you to relax and meditate. 

Stay with your home, let your soul explore its home. 

Now it is time to say goodbye to your home for a while.

Remember it is always there, waiting for you, always welcomes you back.

Journey back to your body.

Feel your soul come back in through your crown,

floating down into your head,

feel it fill your chest, down through your heart chakra,

filling your belly, down through your arms, down through your legs. 

Relax and be back in your body.  Open your eyes whenever you are ready.

Allow yourself to feel and remember all that you learned on your journey.

 

Said by Donald – Healing Prayer

 

Let us pray together for healing of ourselves and those we love.  Please say any names that you would like to be lifted up to God in prayer today for healing.  We call upon Arch Angel Raphael to assist in carrying these names to God for healing and for sending Angels of Healing to those who are in need of God’s love, light and peace.  We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

Said by Alicia – Song for Healing

As we prepare to receive healing, let us sing a song together to raise our spirits and release our burdens to God.  As it was written in Isaiah 61 verses 1-3.

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

 

1- The Spirit of the LORD God

   has taken control of me!

   The LORD has chosen and sent me

   to tell the oppressed

   the good news,

   to heal the brokenhearted,

   and to announce freedom

   for prisoners and captives.

 

2- This is the year

   when the LORD God

   will show kindness to us

   and punish our enemies.

   The LORD has sent me

   to comfort those who mourn, especially in Jerusalem.

 

3-   He sent me to give them flowers

   in place of their sorrow,

   olive oil in place of tears,

   and joyous praise

   in place of broken hearts.

   They will be called

   “Trees of Justice,”

   planted by the LORD

   to honor his name.

 

Let us sing together the healing song Trading My Sorrows.

 

 

Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans

I’m trading my sorrows

I’m trading my shame

I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord

I’m trading my sickness

I’m trading my pain

I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord

 

We say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord

Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord

Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord. Amen.

 

I’m pressed but not crushed,

Persecuted not abandoned

Struck down but not destroyed

I’m blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure

And his joy’s gonna be my strength

 

Though the sorrow may last for the night

His joy comes with the morning

(Repeat all above 2 times)

 

Said by Donald – Call to the Altar for healing

 

We call up the healers to conduct the healing today. Anyone who wishes to receive healing, please come to the altar.  Those who do not come up for healing, please pray silently for yourself and others who may need healing in your life. 

 

We call upon God to reign His Love down upon us, bless each of us with healing, love and peace today. Please remove all barriers that keep us from feeling you with us and help us to have a close, personal relationship with You.  Amen.

 

We will now sit in quiet reflection while the healing takes place.

 

Said by Alicia – Offering for the Church

 

I call upon Gail and Lorraine to collect the offering for the church today. 

 

Dear God, we offer you our days. We offer you our prayers, words and deeds.  We offer you a small token of the blessings you have graced our lives with so that this church may in turn be blessed to do the work you need it to do.  May each of us offer what we can to glorify your holy name and spread the message of love and hope that you have given each of your children.  May the Holy Spirit, who guided Jesus, be our guide and strength today, so that we may witness your love.  Amen.

 

Soon Donald will be talking about the importance of healing and how it leads each of us to a greater relationship with God.  Let God open the eyes of your heart so you may see the glorious works that he has done in your life.  Open the eyes of your heart so you can see what Jesus has done so that there is hope in the world for everyone.  As written in Ephesians 1 verses 18-20.

 

Ephesians 1:18-20 (Contemporary English Version)

 

18-My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

 

19-I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20-when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven.  

 

Let us sing together the song “Open the Eyes of My Heart”.

 

Open the Eyes of My Heart by Paul Baloche

 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You

(repeat 3 times)

 

To see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing holy, holy, holy

 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You

(repeat 1 time)

 

To see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing holy, holy, holy

(repeat)

 

Holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy

I want to see you  (repeat 4 times)

 

 

Said by Donald – Healing for a Personal Relationship with God

 

Many of you may know me and some of you may not. I am Reverend Donald Chelf and I was born a natural healer and awakened to my spiritual gifts at a very young age.  Over the years I have worked hard to develop my spiritual gifts so I can be a blessing to humanity and provide healing and peace to people in need.  My wife, Reverend Alicia and I have founded a healing ministry to heal others, help them uncover who they truly are and help them to unite fully with God in unconditional love so they can profoundly change their lives for their highest good.

 

Can anyone tell me what healing means to them?

 

(Ask a couple of people) (After a couple of different answers are given)

 

As we have just heard healing can be defined many different ways.

 

Healing is so much more than many people ever realize.  Simply put, healing is the return to a state of health and wellness.  Healing provides a tool so that each person can be his or her best in the mind, body, heart and soul.  Over the years, we have come to understand that all aspects of a person are connected.  When the mind or spirit is out of balance, the body, too, is out of balance.  This imbalance is represented by aches, pains, illness, disease and cancer. 

 

Healing is not just for the physical body, but also for the mental, emotional and spiritual bodies.  The imbalance in these areas could be seen as depression, lack of energy, increased stress, rage or fear about life in general.  Healing helps one to begin a spiritual journey of renewal and self-discovery.  This journey leads you back to a oneness with God so you can experience a greater love and joy for life.  When you allow God to walk with you through life, He is your own personal motivator, offering love, encouragement, hope and faith that you will triumph over any challenge placed in your life.  Sometimes, we lose sight of God being next to us on our journeys, and feel like we are all alone.  This is where healing comes in to help you return to a state of oneness with God, clear the darkness that confounds and confuses you into thinking God’s love is not with you.

 

We as healers assist you in healing yourself, by being open channels for God’s love and light to shine through to you on Earth.  Healing is a journey, while there have been many miracles in the world, healing typically occurs over the course of several sessions.  As problems do not occur overnight, healing does not happen in a moment.  Many times there are deep routed issues from childhood or past lives that need to be uncovered and released.

 

I would like to share with you a shining example of a healing journey.  A friend of mine named Kathy who lives in Germany was having extreme difficulties with her pregnancy around the 4 month mark.  The child she was carrying was very sick and so was she. Kathy was told by several doctors she would be lucky to carry this child to term and even then the child might not be born healthy. The doctors said the child would be underweight and may have several complications due to the low birth weight. Kathy’s life journey so far had been filled with child abuse that carried into her current relationship that was filled with emotional and physical abuse.  Through the course of her relationship the stress and trauma from the abuse caused her to have several miscarriages.

 

As I sent Kathy healing; we would talk on the phone and I would have her tell me the history of her abuse so she could release the memories of this trauma from her completely.  As we continued to talk, she released the anger, negativity, and hurt from the abuse. I would heal the anger and transform it into compassion and understanding.  I would release the negativity and hurt and fill her with love and peace.  The healing and counseling, continued for the remaining 5 months of her pregnancy.  I removed the physical and emotional trauma that was done to her and Kathy found the courage within herself to leave the abusive man in her life and seek safety for herself and her unborn child.

 

As Kathy continued to release the abuse and allow herself to be healed; she found that her health and the health of her baby improved daily.  Kathy successfully carried the baby to full term and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that was completely healthy, weighing in around 13 pounds. That baby girl is now 3 and half years old without any medical issues related to the difficulties that occurred during Kathy’s pregnancy. Kathy has also happily reported to me that she has been married for 2 years and she met her husband when the child was around 6 months old.

 

I hope that by relating the above story that you will be encouraged to seek out deeper healing for yourself to assist you in living a life filled with hope and transformed by love and peace.  May you feel God’s loving presence by your side every day of your life and develop a deep and intimate relationship with him.

 

Healing is not just physical in nature; it is about having a closer relationship with God.  Healing is a way to explore your relationship with God during challenging times and during times of joy. 

What does a personal relationship with God mean?  How can anyone claim to have a personal relationship with God?  Many people question whether or not they could ever have a relationship with anyone they cannot see, hear or feel. Even people who see and talk with spirits and angels will not always have a relationship with god or feel worthy of having a true relationship with God.

 

You build a personal relationship with God by sharing every day moments with him.  There are many ways to share your day with God.  From the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you fall asleep at night, God is walking by your side and sharing each moment with you. 

 

Many times people spend months, years or decades feeling guilty about how they’re approaching their spiritual lives.  But this is not God’s will for any of His children.  He has another plan.  His great desire is to walk together with each of his children through their ordinary days.  He yearns for a personal and intimate relationship with you.

 

Just like you have to spend time with family and friends, it is important to spend time with God.  You can build a relationship with God through healing, prayer, meditation, worship, praise, bible study and development of your spiritual gifts to name a few. 

 

How would your day be different if God was with you every moment of the day? How would your drive to work go differently if you asked Jesus to ride shotgun with you?  Would you show more patience for others on the road? Maybe arrive at your work in a better mood?

 

How would your day at work go differently if you knew God was sharing in each moment at work and wanted your day to be filled with joy?  Maybe God would help you to learn from the difficult people you encounter.  Learn from God’s example and take breaks in your work day and during the week.  It is not more spiritual to work nonstop to exhaustion.  Two to three times a day take five to ten minutes to stop your work and be quiet, focus on God and enjoy being in the presence of God. 

 

We don’t really just want to work for God, we want to work WITH him.  

 

Another way to build relationship with God is to offer your worship and praise to Him.  This means more than just sitting in service or singing at church.  Make worship and praise an active part of your life, shows God that you are stretching out to meet him halfway.  Praising God and giving thanks for the blessings he provides helps you to see the amazing wonders he is creating in your life and helping you to feel more positive about your life and having faith when times are tough. 

 

Perhaps you are thinking that is all well and good, I can offer praise and worship to God but he really isn’t talking back to me.  It seems awfully one-sided.  Taking time to be quiet and alone with God will help you to hear His voice in your heart and soul.  We all have become so busy in our lives and surrounded with so much noise and distraction it is hard to sit quietly and hear the voice of truth. 

 

When you want to be alone with God, follow these simple ideas and they may help you to hear God speak to you more clearly.  Find a location that is quiet and free of distraction.  Quiet yourself in God’s presence.  Breathe deeply and slow down.  Maybe begin talking to God with a simple prayer like “God, I just want to be with you today” or “God, I want to feel your love”.  Be clear about what you would like to receive from God.  If you aren’t familiar with God’s presence, focus on scripture to help you listen to God.  Notice the words or phrases that stand out and speak to your heart.  What thoughts or emotions do you experience?  Finally, be fully present, give God your undivided attention.  Speak to him like you would a dear friend whom you share every secret with.  Then when you are done, respond to what you hear God saying to you.  Respond verbally or by writing down the experience in a journal to keep track of your prayers, God’s response and what has happened in your life.  Express your gratitude and commitment to following God’s response to your question.

 

Look for what God is trying to say in your life.  He may use any method possible to get your attention.  God uses signs, symbols, and songs on the radio and places people in your life to help guide you.  God also places thoughts in your mind to help guide you to your purpose.  Once you begin having a deep relationship with God, you will recognize His presence in your life and understand how He guides you. 

 

Many times people find they have barriers to having a relationship with God, either through past hurts or mistakes they have made.  Healing will help you to remove the barriers that keep you from feeling the beautiful unconditional love and grace that God showers over you.  Or perhaps you have never experienced that kind of love in your life.  How would unconditional love and grace feel like for you? Do you know what unconditional love feels like?  Healing will help you to experience that love on a deep personal and physical level that you may never have felt before.  Remember, God loves you unconditionally and accepts you just as you are. 

 

Thank you for listening to me and I hope that you will experience the beauty of God’s presence in your life and oneness with His Holy Spirit in your heart.  If you want to learn more about healing, please talk to me after the service and I will be glad to discuss the gifts of healing further.

 

 

Said by Alicia – Announcements

 

Donald and I would like to thank each one of you for sharing in this special time of worship today.  May God walk with you every day and hold your hand throughout the week.  Let God spend the ordinary moments of your life with you and you will be amazed at the changes you will see. 

 

Said by Alicia –Closing Prayer and Song before messages

 

Please bow your heads and pray with me.

 

Dear God, we thank you for your presence in our lives, your unending blessings of mercy and grace fill every day of our lives.  Please let your love rain down on us, casting a rainbow of hope in our hearts and peace in our minds.  We are grateful for the blessings you have given to us and ask that you continue to bless this church and all who are here with abundance and prosperity.  Fill our lives with joy and laughter! Amen.

 

 

 

 

Let us sing one final joyful song before we give messages tonight. 

 

Every Move I Make by David Ruis

 

Job 12:7-10

 

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.

 

Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

 

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind

 

Every move I make I make in You

You make me move, Jesus

Every breath I take I breathe in You

Every step I take I take in You

You are my way, Jesus

Every breath I take I breathe in You

(Repeat above)

 

la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala

 

Chorus

Waves of mercy, waves of grace

Everywhere I look I see Your face

Your love has captured me

O my God this love how can it be-eeeee!

How can it be Lord!

 

Every move I make I make in You

You make me move, Jesus

Every breath I take I breathe in You

 

Every step I take I take in You

You are my way, Jesus

Every breath I take I breathe in You

 

la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala

 

 

Waves of mercy, waves of grace

Everywhere I look I see Your face

Your love has captured me

O my God this love how can it be-eeeee!

How can it be Lord!

(Repeat chorus 2 times)

 

la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala – la la lalala

 

 

Messages given by Alicia and Donald

Dismissal to fellowship and refreshments.

Where Does God Go?

Where Does God Go?

Alicia M. Erchul

 

Pain rises wave upon wave.

Filling the mind and breaking the heart.

Pain increases making every moment torture.

Breaking the body and depressing the spirit.

 

How can the world be filled with so much pain?

How can one body be filled with so much fear that it has forgotten its soul?

How can one go on day after day when they are all the same?

How can one live when they are all alone?

 

Where does God go when the body is in pain?

Where does God go when the mind is filled with disease?

Where does God go when the heart weeps in despair?

Where does God go when the world keeps spinning without any peace?

 

Does God run and hide away,

Waiting for another day to come out and play?

Does God turn away,

Hiding behind the clouds like the sun?

 

There is never a day when God hides from you.

There is never a moment so dark that God would leave your side.

God stands ever faithful, by your side, in your heart and all around you.

With a helping hand and a loving embrace, God is there to help you go on.

 

God is there, when you are crying.

God is there, when you are in pain.

God is there, when you are weary.

God is there, when you are in despair.

 

Let God release the pain.

Let God come and fill your heart with gladness.

Let God step in and lift your pain away.

Let God’s radiant light surround you till the darkness is but a memory.

 

God’s light is there to lift your spirits.

God’s hand is there to heal your pain.

God’s love is there to bring you back to health.

God’s faith is there when your own faith thinks life is impossible.

 

Find hope in God’s promise that you are never alone and always loved.

Find joy in God’s creation that each day is truly brand new.

Find peace in God’s grace that you are forgiven and healed of all pain.

Find strength in God’s faith that there are infinite possibilities for your life.

 

Moment for Peace ~12.24.08

For the past few days I have been hearing the below song, Joseph’s Lullaby by MercyMe on the radio. It is a song about Joseph’s perspective on the birth of Jesus and very sweetly sung. I love how it speaks of allowing Jesus time to sleep in peace, without the weight of the world on his shoulders, without the weight of what is to happen on his journey in life. I think that is an important message for anyone to take in, especially lightworkers, spirit healers, helpers and guiders, anyone who knows their purpose in life and sometimes feels the weight of the world’s pain and worries about the future. As helpers of the world, it is important to take a moment to just relax and be in a moment of total peace without care or worry. Sometimes we have to ask God to help lift the burdens off of us, to give us a night without it being so heavy on our shoulders.

 

 

To ask for burdens to be lifted off of you or have the completely carried by God does not mean you have failed or are not living up to your potential. It means that you are sharing the load and responsibility with the creator of all things. For the most part, helpers aren’t meant to carry or take on the burdens of the world but to help lift them and release them back to God so they can be fully released and healed. I think that is hard to remember and harder yet to let go of it all so it does not become part of who you are. It is very easy to get wrapped up in the fears, worries and spirals of emotions that the world is going through, those with compassion want to help, want to ease that pain and fear. Sometimes stress from our own lives keeps us locked in the huge spiral and complex swirl of challenging emotions so that they are not being released from us but piled on until we as lightworkers are bogged down and surrounded in a storm of emotions.

 

In the moment you realize you are surrounded in a storm of emotions that truly are not your own, take the moment to remember your peace, your light, your love for the Earth. Remember you have the ability to let it all be released to source for cleansing and healing and that is best not only for you but for those you help, too. It serves no one for you to take on the pain and suffering of others, it doesn’t serve you and doesn’t serve the ones you are helping for it is not truly being released that way but just passed around. Let go and release, relax and be free to be filled with joy, peace and love as your heart desire’s you to be.

Another song that I feel helps to release the burdens and cares is Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant.  It speaks of Mary’s struggle and how she found strength to continue on even while the world around her condemned her.  The beauty of the song to speak of the cares, questions and surrender to what God’s will for her life was even though she could not fully see what lie ahead.  God often only provides the next step in the journey and not the end result or even the step just following the one you are on.  It takes faith and courage to allow yourself to follow God’s will for your life and take that next step into the unknown, praying that you will be enough and that everything will turn out well.

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